THE POWER OF suggestion

This month’s story manages to be suspenseful, with many twists and turns, whilst also having a sense of inevitability right from the start. The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs has a well imagined atmosphere, which darkens throughout the story, alongside some clever foreshadowing. As always you will get the most out of this masterclass if you read the story for yourself: https://writ.rs/monkeyspaw

Firstly, notice the contrasting atmospheres in the opening paragraphs. We are presented with an image of the parlour in which Mr and Mrs White and their son, Herbert are spending the evening. The blinds are drawn and the fire is warming and lighting the room. Even the name of the house, ‘Laburnum Villa’, suggests cosiness and respectability. But outside, we are told, it is cold and wet and windy.

It’s interesting that, as the story opens, Mr White and Herbert are playing chess. We learn something about their characters through this. Mr White makes a careless error in the game